Polyphase vibratory device



June 4-, 194%., 3 ARNOLD 2,401,606

POLYPHASE VIBRATORY DEVI Filed May 16, 1942 ill Illllllllfll "m ("MIME LWWHLITT J l atentcd June 4,

I scoicco romrrmss us'rour DEVICE James S. Amoid, Los Angeles, Elam. Application his? is, me, Serial No. 44cm 4 Claims. E w

This invention relatec to polyphase vibratory devices and has particular application to current inverters and rectifiers.

An object of the invention is to provide u simple and inexpensive midtipie reed vibrator in which the different reeds vibrece in predetermined phese with respect to each other.

r dother object is to provide e simple vibratory switching structure for choosing direct current to uolivphese alter-notice; current. or vice verse.

A more specific object is to provide a, multi contact vibratory switch. in which different groups of cohtects ore eutouieticolly closed end opened in timed sequence corresponding to the time ieg between currents in different pluses oi poiyphase 6. system.

Vibratory inverters for converting direct our rout into single chose citeruetimg current are quite old, having been employed extehsivciy ih tciephcuy i'or many ycsrc to produce relctively iow frequency rinsing current from banks oi dry celis. They hcve also been employed extensively in recent years in cusomobile radio sets, to convert direct current from the eutomobiie storese buttery into alternating current which could be transformed to or higher voltsge and used as a source oi plate current for the radio tubes.

However, to the best of my mowledge. no one hes heretofore discovered c. simple and practicubic structure for vihretiuc o, plurality of sets of reeds in timed relstion corresponding to the timing. oi the difierent phases in e. polyphase A. 3. system, despite the i'ect that it is sometimes highly desirable to produce polyphase A. C. power from direct current, as ior laboratory purposes, driving small pclyphsse motors, etc.

In accordance with the present invention, I. provide s, polyphose vibratory reed structure in which one oi the reeds is driven by a magnet,

v and it in turn drives the other reeds at the some ireouency, but in symmetrically displaced phase relation thereto. By providing contacts actuated by the difiercnt reeds and connected to the difdetail a speciiic embodiment thereof. as illustreted in the drawing, it being, understood that various departures from the exact construction shown may be made while stiil utilizing the essentiul features of my invention.

In. the drowius:

Fig. 1 is a plan view oi a 3=phese vibrating device in accordance with the invention;

Fig. 2 is s front elevation view oi the device;

Fig. 3 is a. detail verticui section taken in the piece m m of Fig.1;

Fist d is s. schematic diagram of e circuit that new be employed wiih the vibrator to produce 3 phase eltemsting; current from direct current; end

Fig. 5 shows u modified drivihc circuit for the magnet of Fig. 42, when the device is employed for rectifying d phese uitemstine current to direct current.

Referring to Figs. 1, 2 end 3, there is shown e. central post id supportiue three sets oi reeds file, Mb and i flc, respectively, each radiating from the post id and being eheuiurly displaced 120 from the other two.

Each reed set M comprises two vertically displaced reeds i2 and id, respectively. positioned in the some vertical plane but spaced apart and electrically insulated from each other. Thus the reed set Ha comprises e lower reed 82s and an upper reed Ida; the reed set iib comprise-sac lower reed 52b and on upper reed lib, and the reed set ilc comprise e iower reed Ho and an upper reed We. All of the upper reeds is are clamped by screws id to e. metai block H5, and the three lower reeds l2 are similarly clamped to a metal block id. The two blocks I5 and I8 are separated irom each other by an insulating bushihg ii, and froma. supporting base l5 by an insulating bushing I9. The assembly 0! blocks l5 audit and the insulating bushings I1 and I9 constitute the center post I0, and are clamped to the base I! by a central screw 20 which is insulated from the blocks 15 and I6.

The two reeds l2 and 'H! of each reed set II are mechanically secured together at their outer ends by s. vertical'bsr 2| riveted thereto as by rivets 22. An insulating bushing 23 electrically insulates the two reeds l2 and I3 from the bar 2! so that it does not short-circuit them. The bar 2| on the reed set Ila cooperates with and constitutes the driven armature of a. magnet 24. and is therefore made of magneticmaterlal, such as iron. The bars 2| on the other reed sets llb and He may be of any desired material, although for convenience in manutacture they will ordi- 3 narily be made of iron, identical with the bar 2| on the reed set Ila.

Referring, for the moment, to Fig. 4, the upper clamping member I! is connected to the positive terminal of a source of direct current, shown as a battery 25, and to one terminal of the winding of magnet 24. The other terminal of the battery is connected through a noninductive resistor 26 to a stationary contact 21 cooperating with the reed l3a, and to the other terminal of the magnet 24. When the apparatus is at rest the contact 21 does not touch the reed Ila, and cur-- rent flows from the battery 25 through the non- Inductive resistor 28 and the winding of magnet 24 in series, to energize the magnet, whereupon its pole-piece 28 attracts the armature 2| on reed l3a and carries the latter into contact with the contact 21. This short-circuits the winding of magnet 24 and deenergizes it, so that the reed set Ila swings back by virtue of its elasticity. This again closes the reed Iia on the contact 21 so that the magnet maintains the reed set Ila in vibration at its natural frequency.

The other reed sets Ilb and Ho are tuned to vibrate at the same frequency as reed set Ila, and they are driven from the reed set I la through connecting springs Ill, four of which are associated with each reed set, as shown in Figs. 1

4 the structure appearing to be self-stabilizing into 3-phase operation,

It is also found that considerable tolerance is permissible in the gap that exists between the coupling springs when the reed sets are in neutral position, However, if the springs ID are set too close together so that they contact each other with any appreciable force while the reeds are in neutral position, the three reed sets will then vibrate in phase with each other, instead of out of phase, It is readily apparent that the tendency for the reeds to vibrate in phase is increased by eliminating the gap between the springs 84,

, because if the springs press against each other and 2, The springs 30 function to drive the reed sets Ill) and Ilc from the reed set Ila at the same frequency but symmetrically displaced in phase each from the other two by 120".

Thus there are two springs SI positioned on opposite sides of the upper reed Ila and connected thereto by rivets 3|. An identical pair of springs 30 are similarly secured to the lower reed l2a and also to the reeds lib and lib, and I20 and I30, The free ends of the adjacent springs 30 on each pair of adjacent reed sets Ila-Jib, llb-llc, llc--lla, respectively, are positioned closely to each other but without being in contact when the reeds are in neutral position.

For convenience, the adjacent springs on reed sets Ila and llb, respectively, are identified as sprlngs 3011b; the adjacent springs between reed sets Ilb and Ho are identified as springs lllbc; and the adjacent springs between reed sets Ila and Ho are identified as springs Illac.

This phase displacement results from the fact that when the driving reed set Ila swings countier-clockwise (with reference to Fig. 1) the driving force is immediately applied from reed set I la to reed set I I0 through the coupling springs 30cc, whereas no force is at that time applied from reed set Ila to reed set llb through the springs "ab. Hence reed set He begins to move counter-clockwise following such movement of reed set Ila, while reed set Ilb remains stationary. However. counter-clockwise movement of the reed set Ilc out of its neutral position is transmitted through the springs 30210- to the reed set Ilb I so that reed set I lb finally moves counter-clockwise but its movement lags that of reed set llc. When the reed set Ila reaches the limits of its counter-clockwise movement and swings in the other direction (clockwise), power is applied from the reed set Ila through springs 30ab to reed set in all positions of the reeds, then movement of the reed set Ila counter-clockwise would urge both the reed sets IIb and He counter-clockwise at the same instant. In contrast, when the springs 30 are out of contact with each other in neutral osition, counter-clockwise movement of the reed set I la applies no force at all to reed set I lb while it is applyin force to the reed set llc.

Various known contact arrangements may be employed on the reeds to effect desired results. The circuit shown in Fig, 4 is for producing 3-phase alternating current from the battery II. To this end, the positive terminal of the battery is connected to all of the upper reed I! through the clamping member l5, and the negative terminal of the battery is connected to all of the lower reeds I2 through their clamping member It. A air of stationary contacts .are associated with and positioned on opposite sides of each reed, and are connected to one phase of the 3-phase circuit. Thus there is shown a 3-phase line 40 connected in delta relation to the secondary windings of three transformer ll, 42, 43, respectively. The two ends of the primary winding of transformer 4i are connected to the two contacts associated with the reeds Ila, and also with the two contacts associated with reed l2a, but in reverse relation. Thus that end of the primary winding 01 transformer 4| that is connected to the contact on the underside of reed l3a is connected to the contact on the upper side of reed 12a. The result is that when reeds Ila and l3a move clockwise the reed l3a applies positive potential to its upper contact while reed l2a is applying negative potential to its upper contact, thereby causing a current to flow in one direction through the primary winding of transformer 4l. When the reeds Ila and Ila swing counter-clockwise they contact their lower contacts and apply current in reverse direction from the battery to the transformer primary.

The primary winding of transformer 42 is similarly connected to the stationary contacts associated with reeds l3c and I20, and the primary winding of transformer 43 is similarly connected to the stationary contacts associated with reeds l3b and I21).

It will be apparent that when the reeds are vibrating in symmetrical phase displacement from each other they will apply current to the primary windings of the transformers 4|, 4! and 43 in such timed relation as to develop S-phaee current in the line 40.

An actual contact structure that may be employed is illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and 3. Thus there are associated with the upper reed lIa a pair of contact springs 45 and 48, which are extensions of the pring (Ill riveted to that reed and have contact buttons 4'! and 48 adapted to abut against stationary contact buttons 4! and II mounted on insulating supports II and 52, which are supported by brackets 53 and 54 from the base It. The lower reed l2a likewise has contact springs 55 and 56 which are extensions of the springs 30 on that reed and carry contact buttons 51 and 58 cooperating with contact buttons 59 and 60 mounted on the insulating supports iii, 52, respectively. The contact 59 is connected directly to the contact 50 by a lead 62, and the contact 49 is directly connected to the contact 60 by a lead 83 (Figs. 1 and, 2). These leads 62 and 83 are indicated in the circuit diagram of Fig. 4 and it will be observed that it is merely necessary to connect these leads to the opposite ends of the primary winding of transformer 4|.

As shown in Fig. 1, the motor contact 21 cooperates with an auxiliary contact button 65 mounted on the contact spring 46. However, if desired, the contact button 65 can be mounted on a separate spring, independent of the spring 46.

The contact structures associated with the reed sets Ill) and Ho are identical with that described in connection with the reed set lla, ex-

cept that no motor contacts 21 and 65 are provided on reed sets l lb and He.

When the device is employed as a rectifier, instead of an inverter, the reeds must be driven in synchronism with the alternating current suply. In other words, the magnet 24 must be energized from the A. C. line instead of the D. C. line. Furthermore, the magnet 24 should be of the polarized type when it is actuated from A. C., else it would tend to drive the vibrators at double frequency.

A suitable magnet circuitfor use in connection with Fig; 4 when employing the device to rectify current from the 3- phase line is shown in Fig. 5. Thus in Fig. 5 the magnet 24a is of the polarized type and is connected through a phase-shifting network 10 to transformer 4!. Many phase-shifting networks are known, and may be used, but a very simple one consisting of a variable reactance .ll, a. capacitance l2, anda variable resistor 13 is shown in the drawing. By varying the reactance H and the resistor I3, the phase of the I current in the driving magnet 24a can be varied suiiiciently to so control the vibration of the reeds that each reed set will close and open its contacts to its associated transformer winding at the in- 6 stant the current in that winding is passing through zero.

It is to be understood that the particular circuits shown were chosen only because of their simplicity, and that the invention is not limited to any particular circuit, or to any particular assemblies of contacts. Rather, it resides in the mechanical structure for obtaining polyphase vibration of a plurality of reeds, as set out in the appended claims.

Iclaim:

1. A polyphase vibratory device comprising: a plurality of vibratory reed members, all tuned to vibrate at the same frequency, means for driving one of said reeds to cause it to vibrate at said frequency, said reeds being symmetrically arranged in apredetermined closed order, and yieldable means intercoupling each adjacent pair of reeds for yieldingly opposing relative movement between said pair of reeds in one direction y.

- 2. A polyphase vibratory device comprising: a plurality of vibratory reed members, all tuned to vibrate at the same frequency and symmetrically arranged in a predetermined closed order, means for driving one of said reeds to cause it to vibrate at said frequency, yieldable means intercoupling each reed to the next adjacent reeds for yieldingly opposing approach only of any two adjacent reeds toward each other.

3. A polyphase vibratory device comprising: a plurality of vibratory reed members, all tuned to vibrate at the same frequency and radiating from a common central axis, means for driving one of said reeds to cause it to-vibrate at said frequency, and spring means mechanically coupling each reed to the two reeds next adjacent thereto, said coupling means opposing relative movement between each adjacent pair of reeds in one direction only.

4. A polyphase vibratory device as described in claim 3, in which said spring means comprises a pair of bow springs on each reed, each bow spring having a free end extending substantially radially from said central axis and being spaced from the cooperating end of the adjacent spring on the next adjacent reed when said reeds are in neutral position.

JAMES S. ARNOLD. 

